I've got over 130gb of just applications in my Program Files directory. I would have to get a bigger SSD for that to work.
SSD storage takes discipline. You can't just save all of your games that you never play.
If you count up the games you actively play, include your Windows directory, and your other non-game programs, you will probably find that you use around 50-100 GB of storage. If you choose a 120GB SSD, you will find yourself uninstalling older games more often, while a 240GB SSD lets you leave those unplayed games on the drive longer.
One trick you can use on some games you don't play but want to keep is to store the data files on your hard drive. I wouldn't suggest doing this unless you are advanced with computer usage. Basically, you copy the game's biggest files and/or directories to your bulk hard drive so you don't have to redownload everything. When you do want to play that game again, you start the download or installation process, stop it, copy the files to where they should be for playing the game, then restart it. If the programmers made the game's downloader smart enough, you shouldn't have to redownload. This process might require some adjustment for some games and it might not work for all games, but game hoarders with ADD can at least have options for SSD usage.
I have a SSD for my OS and maybe one or two games that I'm playing heavily at the time, then a regular 1tb for storage, which I could never fill. I love my SSD. From restart to fully rebooted and ready to open programs in about 15 seconds. I'm usually the first person to load into dungeons and stuff as well if the game I'm playing is on my SSD. Plus, SSD's don't mechanically fail. They can still error, just get a good brand. I swear by Kingston (SD, MicroSD, SSD's, whatever.) The Japanese made stuff is baller. I've had the fewest errors and compatibility issues with them, not just on PC, but digital cameras and even modded handhelds.
It depends upon WHEN you are getting one. I certainly wouldn't buy a new computer without an SSD. However it is not worth getting one for the current computer that I use because the time it would take for me to install the operating system onto it, do all the updates, move all the programs, and get everything the way I want it would sum to more time than I would save in 6 second dribs and drabs over time by having things be a little snappier.
Originally posted by centkin It depends upon WHEN you are getting one. I certainly wouldn't buy a new computer without an SSD. However it is not worth getting one for the current computer that I use because the time it would take for me to install the operating system onto it, do all the updates, move all the programs, and get everything the way I want it would sum to more time than I would save in 6 second dribs and drabs over time by having things be a little snappier.
It usually takes about 30 minutes to install Windows on a clean drive. About an hour to get all the drivers installed and updated. Another 4 hours to get all the updates (depending on your ISP speed, this can vary greatly). And another 30 minutes (give or take) restoring any programs I needed from my backup drive to the SSD.
That's 6 hours total - give or take, which sounds about right, once you've got it down. Yeah, that's an entire evening just dorking on the computer.
However, those seconds add up. SSD boot times are on the order of 10-15 seconds, compared to around 1min for a regular hard drive, so that's 45 seconds of savings there.
I turn on my computer twice a day. I load up 2 games each time. We'll say the SSD saves me 45 seconds on the boot up, and 20 seconds on the game loading and zoning - just for estimation. That's a very conservative estimate, we aren't counting all the times the hourglass comes up when you right click the mouse on the desktop, or the time shaved off from loading web browsers, or the time lost to defragging, or anything else.
So 2*(45+2*(20)) = 170 seconds, or just under 2 minutes, per day saved. Running that out, in the 6 hours it took me to swap over to an SSD, that's 21,600 seconds (6 hrs * 60 * 60).
21,600 seconds install time / 170 seconds saved each day = 127 days for me to make up that "lost time"
I probably go a year at least, and more like 2-3 years, in between OS installs. So it's totally worth it, so long as you plan on keeping the SSD and your computer longer than 127 days.
I guess your milage may vary. It takes me about 24 hours of work at least to get a system even close to the way I like it to be not 6 hours (so you have to x4 the time) and my computer boots in about 25 seconds without an SSD so I would not be saving 45 seconds per bootup. The only time it takes longer is when steam wants to update and in that case it is more a question of it sending data over the net not the hard drive.
So yes if your computer takes that full minute to boot and you can get a system running nicely in 6 hours then sure -- 127 days it is. If you have a faster system and/or it takes you longer to do your thing then that number will shift. True in my case it is more like 3 years to make up the time, but I would figure most people would be between your (what I consider optimal time) and my (fairly worst case time). My guess is most people would equalize around a year or maybe 18 months adding up the dribs and drabs of time.
Originally posted by centkin It depends upon WHEN you are getting one. I certainly wouldn't buy a new computer without an SSD. However it is not worth getting one for the current computer that I use because the time it would take for me to install the operating system onto it, do all the updates, move all the programs, and get everything the way I want it would sum to more time than I would save in 6 second dribs and drabs over time by having things be a little snappier.
It usually takes about 30 minutes to install Windows on a clean drive. About an hour to get all the drivers installed and updated. Another 4 hours to get all the updates (depending on your ISP speed, this can vary greatly). And another 30 minutes (give or take) restoring any programs I needed from my backup drive to the SSD.
That's 6 hours total - give or take, which sounds about right, once you've got it down. Yeah, that's an entire evening just dorking on the computer.
However, those seconds add up. SSD boot times are on the order of 10-15 seconds, compared to around 1min for a regular hard drive, so that's 45 seconds of savings there.
I turn on my computer twice a day. I load up 2 games each time. We'll say the SSD saves me 45 seconds on the boot up, and 20 seconds on the game loading and zoning - just for estimation. That's a very conservative estimate, we aren't counting all the times the hourglass comes up when you right click the mouse on the desktop, or the time shaved off from loading web browsers, or the time lost to defragging, or anything else.
So 2*(45+2*(20)) = 170 seconds, or just under 2 minutes, per day saved. Running that out, in the 6 hours it took me to swap over to an SSD, that's 21,600 seconds (6 hrs * 60 * 60).
21,600 seconds install time / 170 seconds saved each day = 127 days for me to make up that "lost time"
I probably go a year at least, and more like 2-3 years, in between OS installs. So it's totally worth it, so long as you plan on keeping the SSD and your computer longer than 127 days.
I certainly agree that it's often well worth adding an SSD to an older system. As you are aware, you understated the case, too. A few seconds here and a few seconds there waiting on a hard drive is time that you have to sit there and wait for the hard drive because it's only a few seconds. Much of the process of reinstalling the OS, on the other hand, is a matter of start something, leave to go do something else, and then come back to check on the computer half an hour later.
But even so, the time to reinstall the OS on an older computer is still substantial. That's why if you're building a computer new and planning to get an SSD eventually, it's usually better to get the SSD up front so that you're not forced to reinstall everything later. Or at the very least, plan ahead and partition the hard drive the way that you will later want the SSD so that you can copy the OS/programs partition onto the SSD later without having to do a clean install.
My PC boots faster than my smartphone. I highly recommend investing in an SSD, and if you're not in a hurry I also highly recommend waiting for Black Friday/Cyber Monday. Most online retailers have excellent deals, 50%+ off of the best current gen SSDs and other hardware.
I picked up a 256gb OCZ Vertex 4 back in November for about $150. This thing could die tomorrow and I'd still be happy enough with the product to buy another.
Comments
SSD storage takes discipline. You can't just save all of your games that you never play.
If you count up the games you actively play, include your Windows directory, and your other non-game programs, you will probably find that you use around 50-100 GB of storage. If you choose a 120GB SSD, you will find yourself uninstalling older games more often, while a 240GB SSD lets you leave those unplayed games on the drive longer.
One trick you can use on some games you don't play but want to keep is to store the data files on your hard drive. I wouldn't suggest doing this unless you are advanced with computer usage. Basically, you copy the game's biggest files and/or directories to your bulk hard drive so you don't have to redownload everything. When you do want to play that game again, you start the download or installation process, stop it, copy the files to where they should be for playing the game, then restart it. If the programmers made the game's downloader smart enough, you shouldn't have to redownload. This process might require some adjustment for some games and it might not work for all games, but game hoarders with ADD can at least have options for SSD usage.
I have a SSD for my OS and maybe one or two games that I'm playing heavily at the time, then a regular 1tb for storage, which I could never fill. I love my SSD. From restart to fully rebooted and ready to open programs in about 15 seconds. I'm usually the first person to load into dungeons and stuff as well if the game I'm playing is on my SSD. Plus, SSD's don't mechanically fail. They can still error, just get a good brand. I swear by Kingston (SD, MicroSD, SSD's, whatever.) The Japanese made stuff is baller. I've had the fewest errors and compatibility issues with them, not just on PC, but digital cameras and even modded handhelds.
Need? Probably Not. Should you get one? Probably.
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It depends upon WHEN you are getting one. I certainly wouldn't buy a new computer without an SSD. However it is not worth getting one for the current computer that I use because the time it would take for me to install the operating system onto it, do all the updates, move all the programs, and get everything the way I want it would sum to more time than I would save in 6 second dribs and drabs over time by having things be a little snappier.
It usually takes about 30 minutes to install Windows on a clean drive.
About an hour to get all the drivers installed and updated.
Another 4 hours to get all the updates (depending on your ISP speed, this can vary greatly).
And another 30 minutes (give or take) restoring any programs I needed from my backup drive to the SSD.
That's 6 hours total - give or take, which sounds about right, once you've got it down.
Yeah, that's an entire evening just dorking on the computer.
However, those seconds add up. SSD boot times are on the order of 10-15 seconds, compared to around 1min for a regular hard drive, so that's 45 seconds of savings there.
I turn on my computer twice a day. I load up 2 games each time. We'll say the SSD saves me 45 seconds on the boot up, and 20 seconds on the game loading and zoning - just for estimation. That's a very conservative estimate, we aren't counting all the times the hourglass comes up when you right click the mouse on the desktop, or the time shaved off from loading web browsers, or the time lost to defragging, or anything else.
So 2*(45+2*(20)) = 170 seconds, or just under 2 minutes, per day saved.
Running that out, in the 6 hours it took me to swap over to an SSD, that's 21,600 seconds (6 hrs * 60 * 60).
21,600 seconds install time / 170 seconds saved each day = 127 days for me to make up that "lost time"
I probably go a year at least, and more like 2-3 years, in between OS installs. So it's totally worth it, so long as you plan on keeping the SSD and your computer longer than 127 days.
I guess your milage may vary. It takes me about 24 hours of work at least to get a system even close to the way I like it to be not 6 hours (so you have to x4 the time) and my computer boots in about 25 seconds without an SSD so I would not be saving 45 seconds per bootup. The only time it takes longer is when steam wants to update and in that case it is more a question of it sending data over the net not the hard drive.
So yes if your computer takes that full minute to boot and you can get a system running nicely in 6 hours then sure -- 127 days it is. If you have a faster system and/or it takes you longer to do your thing then that number will shift. True in my case it is more like 3 years to make up the time, but I would figure most people would be between your (what I consider optimal time) and my (fairly worst case time). My guess is most people would equalize around a year or maybe 18 months adding up the dribs and drabs of time.
I certainly agree that it's often well worth adding an SSD to an older system. As you are aware, you understated the case, too. A few seconds here and a few seconds there waiting on a hard drive is time that you have to sit there and wait for the hard drive because it's only a few seconds. Much of the process of reinstalling the OS, on the other hand, is a matter of start something, leave to go do something else, and then come back to check on the computer half an hour later.
But even so, the time to reinstall the OS on an older computer is still substantial. That's why if you're building a computer new and planning to get an SSD eventually, it's usually better to get the SSD up front so that you're not forced to reinstall everything later. Or at the very least, plan ahead and partition the hard drive the way that you will later want the SSD so that you can copy the OS/programs partition onto the SSD later without having to do a clean install.
My PC boots faster than my smartphone. I highly recommend investing in an SSD, and if you're not in a hurry I also highly recommend waiting for Black Friday/Cyber Monday. Most online retailers have excellent deals, 50%+ off of the best current gen SSDs and other hardware.
I picked up a 256gb OCZ Vertex 4 back in November for about $150. This thing could die tomorrow and I'd still be happy enough with the product to buy another.
SSD is so fast with boot up i can't see bios startup the windows logo ive clocked it all and with my desktop apps activated im 12sec done.
And quality wise im very pleased still with my OCZ vertex4 256gb and latest firmupdate its stable and function very well.
To desktop is 9sec ilove my sdd one best upgrades in years with usb3 included.